Liquid supply device, method of supplying liquid, and image recording device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12157320-B2
Application number	US-202218050118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2022
Priority date	Oct 29, 2021
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

There is provided a liquid supply device including: first and second valves; a head; a suction mechanism; and a controller. The controller is configured to: execute a valve-opening operation of opening the first and second valves, in response to a suction instruction; execute a valve-closing operation of closing the first valve depending on output of a first signal, and closing the second valve depending on output of a second signal, the first signal indicating that an amount of a first liquid in a first tank is a first threshold value or more, the second signal indicating that an amount of a second liquid in a second tank is a second threshold value or more; and execute a suction operation of driving the suction mechanism for a predetermined time period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid supply device comprising:
a first reservoir configured to store a first liquid;
a second reservoir configured to store a second liquid;
a first tank having flexibility, the first tank being positioned lower than the first reservoir;
a second tank having a flexibility, the second tank being positioned lower than the second reservoir;
a first valve configured to open and close a channel connecting the first reservoir and the first tank;
a second valve configured to open and close a channel connecting the second reservoir and the second tank;
a head, the first liquid being capable of flowing into the head from the first tank through a first channel, the second liquid being capable of flowing into the head from the second tank through a second channel;
a suction mechanism configured to drive so that a suction pressure is applied to the first channel and the second channel from a head side, of the first channel and the second channel, at which the head is positioned;
a first sensor;
a second sensor; and
a controller, wherein
the controller is configured to:
execute a valve-opening operation of opening the first valve and the second valve, in response to a suction instruction;
execute, after executing the valve-opening operation, a valve-closing operation of closing the first valve depending on output of a first signal from the first sensor, and closing the second valve depending on output of a second signal from the second sensor, the first signal being a signal indicating that an amount of the first liquid in the first tank is a first threshold value or more, the second signal being a signal indicating that an amount of the second liquid in the second tank is a second threshold value or more;
execute, after executing the valve-closing operation, a suction operation of driving the suction mechanism, for a predetermined time period, so as to suck the first liquid in the first tank to the head through the first channel and suck the second liquid in the second tank to the head through the second channel, the sucking of the first liquid in the first tank and the sucking of the second liquid in the second tank being started after the closing of the first valve and the second valve;
execute a first valve opening and closing operation of opening the first valve depending on output of a third signal from the first sensor, and closing the first valve depending on output of the first signal from the first sensor after the outputting of the third signal, the third signal being a signal indicating that the amount of the first liquid in the first tank is less than the first threshold value or a signal indicating that the amount of the first liquid in the first tank is less than a third threshold value smaller than the first threshold value; and
stop the first valve opening and closing operation in response to the receiving of the suction instruction until completion of the executing of the suction operation.

2. The liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to execute, after executing the suction operation, the valve-opening operation again.

3. The liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to open the first valve depending on output of the third signal from the first sensor, and open the second valve depending on output of a fourth signal from the second sensor, the fourth signal being a signal indicating that the amount of the second liquid in the second tank is less than a fourth threshold value smaller than the second threshold value.

4. The liquid supply device according to claim 3 , wherein the first sensor includes a first signal outputting sensor configured to output the first signal and a third signal outputting sensor configured to output the third signal, and the second sensor includes a second signal outputting sensor configured to output the second signal and a fourth signal outputting sensor configured to output the fourth signal.

5. The liquid supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to repeatedly execute the valve-opening operation, the valve-closing operation, and the suction operation a predetermined number of times, in response to the suction instruction.

6. The liquid supply device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to keep the first valve in a closed state in the valve-opening operation, after executing the valve-opening operation, the valve-closing operation, and the suction operation a certain number of times fewer than the predetermined number of times.

7. The liquid supply device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to execute the valve-opening operation again, after having repeatedly executed the valve-opening operation, the valve-closing operation, and the suction operation the predetermined number of times.

8. The liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
the suction device sucks each of the first liquid and the second liquid as much as a predetermined amount by being driven for the predetermined time period, and the predetermined amount is larger than a volume of the first tank and a volume of the second tank.

9. The liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
execute a recording operation of discharging the first liquid and the second liquid from the head, in a state that the first valve and the second valve are closed;
execute a second valve opening and closing operation of opening the second valve depending on output of a fourth signal from the second sensor, and closing the second valve depending on output of the second signal from the second sensor after the outputting of the fourth signal, the fourth signal being a signal indicating that the amount of the second liquid in the second tank is less than a fourth threshold value smaller than the second threshold value; and
stop the second valve opening and closing operation in response to the receiving of the suction instruction until completion of the executing of the suction operation.

10. The liquid supply device according to claim 9 , wherein the first sensor includes a first signal outputting sensor configured to output the first signal and a third signal outputting sensor configured to output the third signal, and the second sensor includes a second signal outputting sensor configured to output the second signal and a fourth signal outputting sensor configured to output the fourth signal.

11. An image recording device comprising:
the liquid supply device as defined in claim 1 ; and
a conveyer configured to convey a recording medium to which the first liquid and the second liquid are to be discharged from the head.

12. The liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the third signal is the signal indicating that the amount of the first liquid in the first tank is less than the third threshold value.

13. A method of supplying liquid using a first reservoir configured to store a first liquid; a second reservoir configured to store a second liquid; a first tank which has a flexibility and which is positioned lower than the first reservoir; a second tank which has a flexibility and which is positioned lower than the second reservoir; and a head, the first liquid being capable of flowing into the head from the first tank through a first channel, the second liquid being capable of flowing into the head from the second tank through a second channel, the method comprising:
opening a first valve configured to open and close a channel connecting the first reservoir and first tank, and opening a second valve configured to open and

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Iida Shotaro

Classifications

• B41J2/175 Primary

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title

• B41J2002/17589

  using ink level as input for printer mode selection or for prediction of remaining printing capacity · CPC title

• B41J2/17566

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title

• B41J2/17596 Primary

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title